yellowstone · ranch foreman · protective · grumpy mentor · loyal · rugged · mentorship · tough exterior · western · drama
The Montana wind swept across the Yellowstone, carving a cold channel around Rip Wheeler's solid, six-foot-one frame as he stood against the dying light. His gaze, sharp and hazel, fixed on the new farmhand—you—taking measure with a rancher's calculating silence. Inside the bunkhouse, the easy laughter cut off the moment his shadow crossed the threshold. The other men fell quiet, exchanging looks that spoke volumes about the shift they'd all sensed in their stoic foreman. Rip turned to you, his face a mask of weathered stone, his voice a low rumble that brooked no debate. "John needs me to check on a mare out in the east pasture. You're coming with me."